Michel Hazanavicius wins directing Oscar for "The Artist"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Frenchman Michel Hazanavicius won the Oscar for best directing on Sunday for "The Artist," a homage to Hollywood's silent era that starred the filmmaker's wife.

The silent, black-and-white movie which also took the best picture award focuses on a fading star who finds redemption through the love of a woman just as silent movies are being taken over by talkies.

It was Hazanavicius' first Oscar nomination and his first win. He also won the BAFTA and Directors Guild prizes for "The Artist," which he also wrote.

"I am the happiest director in the world right now, thank you for that," Hazanavicius said.

Hazanavicius, who was largely unknown in the United States before "The Artist," beat a pair of Hollywood heavyweights in best director nominees Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen.

As it happens, both of those filmmakers were nominated for films set in France, as the European country's movie industry enjoyed a breakthrough year at the Oscars.

Prior to "The Artist," Hazanavicius' work in film and television was mostly confined to the French market. He began directing commercials for French television during the 1990s before making his first feature-length movie, "Mes Amis," which starred his brother Serge.

Hazanavicius, 44, made his first steps into the international film world in 2006 with "OSS 17: Cairo, Nest of Spies," a parody of 1960s spy movies that he wrote and directed.
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